Kerala court sentences dance teacher to 52 yrs jail for sexually assaulting 10 yr old boy

A fast-track court at Thiruvananthapuram has sentenced a 46-year-old dance teacher to 52 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting his 10-year-old male student.

As the sentences will run concurrently, the accused will have to serve only 20 years in jail which is the maximum term awarded to him for offences committed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.

Notably, the accused, one Sunil Kumar has been directed to pay Rs. 3,25,000 as fine, shall be paid as compensation to the victim under S.6(2) of POCSO Act and S.357(1)(b) Criminal Procedure Code, when realized.

Kumar harbored the intention of sexually harassing the 10-year-old minor and subjected him to sexual harassment and unnatural sexual offences.

Special Judge Anju Meera Birla noted that the mental agony which has been caused to the child could be seen to have been proved by the prosecution, especially with the evidence led in relation to the psychiatric help that the child had to take on account of the feelings evoked by the abuse he had suffered.

Moreover, the position of trust and authority, which the accused enjoyed can be seen not only from the wordings of PW1 but also from the words of PW10, court noted.

Also, court found that the minor boy was silenced on account of the authority of the accused and also on account of his young and trusting age, which led to his abuse for the three years as claimed and proved.

As a result, the accused was found guilty of the for offences punishable under S. 4 r/w S.3(d), 6 read with 5(l), 6 read with 5(m), S.10 r/s S.9 (l), S.10 r/w S.9(m) of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 and Section 75 of Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.

State was represented by Special Public Prosecutor Vijay Mohan RS.

Case Title: State-represented by the Inspector of Police, Pangodu Police Station Thiruvananthapuram Rural vs. Sunil Kumar